HB49 removes certain employment restrictions for minors 17 years of age and younger.
The Senate passed HB49 on March 8, 2024, by a vote of 27 to 11. We have assigned pluses to the yeas because young adults (e.g., 17 or 16-year-olds), who have reached an age of discretion, should not be subject to “child labor laws” or other unreasonable barriers to willful and gainful employment. Further, parents—not the government—ought to have the final authority and say as to whether their minor children can work. Florida must protect the fundamental rights of parents and freedom of association of the American people, which are retained under the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.